Politics and the Land 



they may be pausing before accepting the 

 socialistic diet spread before them by the pro- 

 gressive Radicals, but they are not returning 

 to the support of the Conservative party. There 

 has been a reaction, but it is a reaction of a 

 character entirely different from the normal 

 reactions which took place when Lord Salisbury 

 and Mr. Gladstone were the leaders of their 

 respective parties. 



There is only one way in which all moderate 

 politicians can meet this vague feeling of dis- 

 satisfaction, and that is by formulating a 

 comprehensive policy of reform. 



The necessary premiss is that the Government 

 must directly interfere, to a far greater extent 

 than in the past, to secure the improved con- 

 dition of the people. The people of themselves 

 have been unable to solve the social problem ; 

 therefore as the alternative it rests with the 

 Government to see what wise organisation and 

 scientific guidance can do to improve the social 

 welfare of the nation, to raise the average 

 standard of the home population so that we may 

 in truth attain to that happy condition which 

 George Meredith considered as a first essential 

 to empire. 



" Let us have an imperial people at home," 

 he said. 



There should, then, be but one objective for 

 Unionist politicians, the creation of a policy 



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